"Hard Crackers Come Again No More"

Although it is easy to think in terms of division when thinking about the American Civil War, there were experiences which united those on both sides of the divide. Although the deadliest war in American history, many more lives were lost through malnutrition and disease, than through direct combat. The experience of combat was a terrible affair upon the soldiers. Just as important, was the everyday experience of war which stood apart from combat. Long marches, unsanitary conditions, harsh discipline, and a lack of sufficient quality foodstuffs were a real problem. The song “Hard Crackers Come Again No More”, reflected one vivid part of that reality, lamenting not only the quality of the food provided to soldiers but the potential for starvation. Closely based upon an earlier song written in 1854 by Stephen C. Foster, “Hard Crackers Come Again No More” is a sarcastic complaint about the quality of the provisions provided by military contractors and was part an evolving folk music tradition. This new folk piece appears to have originated among the 1st Iowa Volunteers in 1861 thanks to a company ‘C’ member named Josiah Fowler who was dissatisfied with hard (tack) crackers provided to soldiers as a ration. Hardtack is a square biscuit made of flour and water and was the mainstay of Northern soldiers. Its long lasting, inexpensive nature made it the ideal M.R.E (Meal Ready to Eat) for Civil War soldiers. Hardtack was not, however, an enjoyable food to eat requiring, as it did, some significant effort to be put into making it soft enough to be palatable or even edible. Hardtack was generally broken up with a rock or rifle butt, placed in the cheek, and softened with saliva until it could be chewed and swallowed. It could also be soaked in water and then fried in bacon grease to produce a concoction known as "coosh." Among the many nicknames attached to this military delicacy were "sheet iron crackers," "teeth dullers," and "worm castles" (because it was frequently infested with weevils and maggots). Hardtack was forerunner of the saltines we know today